Audit of Nursing Facility Staffing Requirements at Mariner Health of Denver

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The objective of this audit was to determine whether Mariner Health of Denver (Mariner) was in compliance with Federal and State staffing laws and regulations for nursing facilities.  Mariner is a 117 bed nursing facility located in Denver, Colorado.  Mariner complied with Federal and State staffing laws and regulations with one exception.  Colorado regulations require facilities to provide annual in-service education for staff in certain critical areas including rehabilitation.  However, even though Mariner's corporate office had developed a training seminar for rehabilitative services, the facility did not provide its nursing staff with rehabilitative nursing training on an annual basis.  We recommended that Mariner review its annual in-service training program to assure that all mandated State required training is included for all staff.